My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
- jeaton01
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Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
Ah you guys. Give them kids a box of wrenches and tell them to go fix stuff! That's the direction I got at that age.
- Gary Brantley
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Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
Hey John, they do have their own tool boxes started, but as far as fixin' thangs, well, they are hell on Legos!
Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
Looks like a fun time for all!
Stuart Templeton 'I may not be good but I'm slow...'
My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
- Gary Brantley
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Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
Yep, we all had fun out there, Stuart! I'm so fortunate to have that place, I am eternally grateful to my dear Dad for having the desire for a bit of land to call ours and for the wisdom to buy it when he did. I was lucky to be able to "grow up" out there. I would like to believe it will always stay in our family and someday those two young grandsons along with each one's sister, Nora Brantley and Chloe Huerta, will be the owners and caretakers. Dad, sadly, didn't even live to see his own two grandchildren. All kids just loved my Dad, Johnny Brantley. I suspect that "charm" was somehow connected to having had 11 siblings; he just had a way with kids and they all seemed to sense that. To all my many cousins, he was their beloved "Uncle Johnny", and to all my many childhood friends, he was the coolest dad on the block! Were he still alive, July 13 would be his 100th birthday and I know how crazy he would be about these grandkids of mine.
In this old photograph of my Dad's entire family, perhaps even the only one ever taken of them all, he is the second from the left on the back row, his left hand on my Aunt Betty's shoulder. I have no idea who took the photo as I doubt the Brantleys could've afforded a camera or film but I am forever indebted to that photographer for taking that pic. Somehow, that's much how I remember Dad when I was a child, forever young now in my memory. I never dreamed I would have to go through so much of my life without him. He passed on May 17, 1979 and I miss him still everyday.
In this old photograph of my Dad's entire family, perhaps even the only one ever taken of them all, he is the second from the left on the back row, his left hand on my Aunt Betty's shoulder. I have no idea who took the photo as I doubt the Brantleys could've afforded a camera or film but I am forever indebted to that photographer for taking that pic. Somehow, that's much how I remember Dad when I was a child, forever young now in my memory. I never dreamed I would have to go through so much of my life without him. He passed on May 17, 1979 and I miss him still everyday.
Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
I'm sorry to hear that Gary, that's far too young to go - it's great that you have good memories of him though and what a great photo. That really was forward thinking of him to buy that land.
Stuart Templeton 'I may not be good but I'm slow...'
My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
What a great picture.
We don't have any such photographs on my dads' side. I miss Mom and Dad terribly. There are som many things I want to talk to t hem about now. Not smart enough to do so then.
We don't have any such photographs on my dads' side. I miss Mom and Dad terribly. There are som many things I want to talk to t hem about now. Not smart enough to do so then.
To make each build less crappy than the last one. Or, put another way, "Better than the last one, not as good as the next one!"..
- Gary Brantley
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Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
Thank you, Stuart! I appreciate that so much.
Thank you, Lyle! I know exactly what you mean.
Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
That looks like a fun day. Teaching em how to drive now is a good idea. And it looks safe enough, nothing but grass fields, excellent.
Give Blood, Play Rugby, cause everyone knows football is for wimps!
- Gary Brantley
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Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
We did have a lot of fun, Steve! They're just right for learning to drive, and did a pretty good job of it.
When I was just a little older than they are, my family went to White Sands, New Mexico to see the extensive sand dunes. My Dad let me drive our big ol' sedan, figuring there was nothing but sand all around. Well, as I tooled along, sure enough, we met a Park Ranger. He did a turnaround and drove up beside our car, motioning for us (me) to pull over and then he drove ahead and stopped at the side of the road. As he was getting out of his car, I almost ran into him as I drove up, stopping in front of his car. He came up and told my Dad to follow him to the Ranger station. When Dad came out, he was red-faced and said he told the Ranger that he thought it was okay if I drove, telling him there was only sand around for me to hit. The Ranger replied, "Well, he almost hit me!" Dad got off with a warning.
Re: My grandsons drivin' and shootin' on D-Day
Living in San Diego, CA up until last year - shooting was a bit difficult. You have to drive 1 -2 hours to BLM land so my kids didn't get exposed to shooting until they were in their teens. Went out to a range with a super qualified instructor and they got to shoot all the guns, mine and his, and heard the same lessons dad said over and over -helpful. Turned out my daughter was the one who got into it. When I purchased my Springfield M1A we went out to the range and put 80 rounds through it - 40 a piece. She wanted to keep shooting but me, the old man my shoulder was done. Shooting and teaching the kids about guns and discipline as a great right of passage and a very responsible thing to do so right on my friend.
Now here in Arizona - I heard gun shots one night and asked Stik if he heard them - the answer was yes, folks go shooting about a mile from the house. I haven't found the spot, but looking forward to getting the guns out and doing a bit of plinking.
Now here in Arizona - I heard gun shots one night and asked Stik if he heard them - the answer was yes, folks go shooting about a mile from the house. I haven't found the spot, but looking forward to getting the guns out and doing a bit of plinking.
Thanks,
John
John